One of the reasons Bernie Sanders’ sun has risen - and Hillary Clinton’s has set – is their differences over government-paid medical insurance. (Which, of course, most people still call “healthcare”).
Bernie favors Medicare for All. This is becoming more popular among the self-described progressives in the Democrat Party, and among the American far left. That’s because its leading advocates – e.g., Bernie – promise it will give everyone better insurance coverage, cost less, and be simple. What’s not to like?
Contrast Hillary who favors fixing Obamacare, or at least has always said she favors fixing Obamacare. Her major objection to Bernie’s idea is that Medicare for All would cost too much, and require even higher taxes to pay for it. But that’s become a less popular policy position partly because of the growing recognition that Obamacare already costs too much, and is probably not fixable even if Hillary says it is. So for the first time in more than 25 years, Hillary has lost the high ground on medical insurance.
There’s a backstory here. At least two states have already tried to design single-payer plans for their residents. Both gave up because of high cost. In 2007, Connecticut shut down its state single-payer project because it would have cost more than the entire state budget. And in 2014, Bernie’s own State of Vermont shut down its project for about the same reason. But when have facts mattered to progressive/leftist Democrats who clothe themselves in robes of social justice? I expect that in the next national presidential campaign, Medicare for All will be a prominent Democratic Party talking point.
So it’s important to recall that back in 2010, the Democratic Party had to deceive America to sell us Obamacare. Thanks to Professor Jonathan Gruber, we learned that all along the progressive/leftist Democrats considered Americans “stupid” and easily fooled.
My opinion? None of the promises about Medicare for All – more insurance coverage, for less cost, and simple administration - survive thoughtful analysis from experts other than the partisan progressive/leftist Democrats themselves.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
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